Hunter
by Ravenfire385
Summary: After the gang is stranded in the middle of a forest after a plane crash, Duo is attacked. How are they supposed to get out now?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. This disclaimer also goes for all the following chapters, and not simply this singe one.

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Chapter 1

A cougar's scream reverberated through the quiet forest. A blonde head quirked in confusion. There was a yell of surprise, then a loud crash.

"What is a cougar doing attacking Duo? They don't attack humans…"

"Don't question it, Winner!" A black haired man snapped impatiently, drawing a sword. Four people rushed to defend their teammate, weapons drawn. They paused at the scene. Duo Maxwell had the 'cougar' pinned under him, hands behind the person's back.

"It's a kid, Q-ball." Maxwell said, frowning. "Pounced on me from the trees. Freakin' cat." The 'kid' thrashed, growling ferally. With a show of flexibility, he threw off Maxwell and scrambled for a tree. A gunshot rang out and the kid yowled, slipping several feet down the tree trunk. Blood streamed down the kid's leg. He continued to climb, much slower now.

"Can anyone get him down without killing him?" Quatre asked, rubbing at his heart. Heero nodded. By the time he raised his gun again, however, Duo was already half-way up the tree.

"I'll get him!" the braided teen called down, grinning. Heero clicked the safety on his gun with a scowl. He had really wanted to nail the kid…again.

Hunter watched as a man-child moved under his tree, walking calmly. Leaves crunched under his feet. Hunter tensed, then pounced on the man-child with a wild scream. He realized quickly this was not a smart idea as his quarry flipped their positions smoothly, pinning him easily. Four other people rushed to the scene, weapons in hand.

"It's a kid, Q-ball." His 'quarry' told the group, his tone light. "Pounced on me from the trees. Freakin' cat." Hunter growled. He was proud of that! He bucked and twisted, squirming out of the man-child's hold, scrambling up his tree. A loud bang echoed, and Hunter yowled as pain exploded in his knee. Warmth trickled down his leg. He slid several feet back down, the pain in his leg making climbing almost impossible.

One of the other man-children spoke. His voice was warm, like the sun. Hunter wanted to stop and listen to it, but the crunching of leaves told him he had to move, now! He reached a limb to sit on, finally. Hunter gripped at his knee, bending his head to examine the injury. It was odd- a perfect hole in the side of his leg. There was suddenly a voice at his side, startling Hunter. Before he could register the words, momentum and gravity grabbed him and yanked him off the tree branch. Hunter fell twenty feet to the ground. He braced himself for a painful crash, but instead landed in two pairs of arms. They lowered him gently to the forest floor, holding onto his shoulders and calves.

Hunter summoned all of his fading skill with the English language and forced out, "Let go. Please. I not mean hurt. I want defend home." Two of the three people not holding onto him knelt or sat. One remained standing.

"That's why you attacked Duo? You wanted to defend your home?" the one with the warm voice asked. Hunter nodded, breathing quickening. He was in pain, scared, and wanted to go home. The man with the warm voice had kind eyes, Hunter decided, trying to focus on the situation at hand. They were a warm teal, like a stream lit by the sun.

"That's not an excuse. We should have shot you." The standing one growled. He had tousled brown hair and bright, eyes like the sky in high summer. Hunter growled dangerously. Hadn't they already shot him once?

"Calm down. Heero wouldn't do anything like that again. You didn't hurt Duo." The one holding his shoulders muttered. From what Hunter could see, he had dark brown hair swept over one eye. The visible eye was a brilliant green.

"I not mean…" Hunter repeated brokenly.

"I'm fine, kid. What's your name, anyway? I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell at your service. I may run or hide, but I never tell a lie."

"Hunter…my name Hunter." He twitched. "Let me go? I want move…leg hurt." Heero scowled. He had kneecapped the kid, and Hunter could only say it hurt? Other people would be screaming…then he took in the tension in the kid's frame. Fingers were clenched in white-knuckled fists, green-gold eyes were dilated in pain. The teen was quivering minutely.

"You attack anyone, you'll be killed. Clear?" Hunter nodded. Wufei and Trowa released Hunter, who curled into himself. When a stomach growled to his left, Hunter lifted his head with a small, shaky grin.

"You hungry." He stated bluntly to Trowa, who looked away. "Walk in forest long time?"

"Several days. Our plane crashed. There isn't any signal for GPS or cell phones…" Quatre broke off. "We scavenged for food, but there wasn't much left after the fire died down." Hunter nodded.

"I give you place to stay. I give you food?" Duo got to his feet, helping the injured teen off the ground. Hunter shuddered involuntarily from the contact, the feeling strange but not unwelcome. The rest of the pilots watched warily as Hunter scaled a tree with difficulty. "I lead back in trees. You stay on ground. I give…" he thought hard. "…signs?" Duo piped up, "Directions!" Hunter nodded emphatically. The pilots agreed and followed Hunter as he ran through the trees like a monkey. The blood he dripped was a clear enough path for the group, who followed the spots of crimson. When Hunter descended from the trees, they were at a halt in front of a massive redwood. It was large enough that the five teens wouldn't be able to reach all the way around the tree, holding hands.

"Is this tree still alive?" Quatre inquired as Hunter pulled back a flap of hide, allowing the five pilots inside. It had been hollowed out, with small air holes cut through the bark. A small makeshift bed had been made on one side, and on the other there were shelves stacked up. They were all made of rough oak wood, hewn so they would fit like puzzle pieces together.

"Hometree died long ago. It not fall over because too big. Roots go very far down…hold Hometree in." Hunter said, nodding to himself. "It take many suns to cut out. Almost…" he counted on his fingers, "twenty eight suns to make home. Big enough for five people if people friendly." He grinned. "You good friends?" they nodded in bemusement. "Good. You sleep here." He limped painfully outside, presumably to find them food.

"How long do we plan on staying here?" Trowa inquired, looking at the bed. The frame was well constructed, pine boughs covered with tanned hide serving as a springy mattress. "He just gave us his home."

"I don't know." Heero admitted, sinking to the ground. The crash had changed Heero, made him more open, and yet more guarded. The rest of the group sank down around him, Duo leaning on Heero's shoulder. Quatre rested his head against Trowa, and Wufei leaned against the bed.

"Can sleep on bed, silly." Hunter said softly, emerging through the opening. Wufei jumped. "I not need it. Made for when injured."

"You _are_ injured. You should use the bed. It's your home…" Wufei muttered, then stiffened as Hunter lifted and set him on the bed stubbornly. "You friends have others for pillows. I not need one. Go sleep. I be fine." Even as Wufei watched, Hunter limped outside and returned with a dented pot of steaming water. He pulled off his shirt, tore it into pieces, and dunked them in the hot water.

"Leave them there for a while." A sleepy voice informed Hunter, who was about to pull them out. Trowa was watching the uncouth teen calmly. Hunter pulled one out and used it to dab at the blood congealing on his knee. He hissed in pain, then bit his lip in an effort not to wake the other pilots, who were stirring. Hunter reached back into the bucket and began to wrap his knee with the hot, wet strips of cloth. By this point, Wufei and Trowa had nodded off again.

Picking up the bucket, Hunter staggered outside and set the pot over the dying fire. He stoked the fire to a blaze, then got up again. He growled angrily at his own weakness as his leg attempted to give out on him. It would be a long wait for his knee to heal…

"I make tea, I think. Tea and stew…" Hunter grabbed another bucket, filling it a nearby river. From his stores in another tree the teen grabbed dried meat, cups, wild carrots, and a type of plant that tasted a lot like potato. A small bag of stolen salt was added as an after-thought, and he limped back to the fire. He set the boiling water aside, then assembled his stew, using a sharp piece of bone like a knife. The smell of stew had apparently seeped into his tree, because his guests emerged one by one, taking seats around the fire.

"I make tea and stew. Want tea?" when they all nodded, he continued, "I make pine or mint. I not have other tastes from…um…" he paused, "civilization." He said the odd word slowly. "I make from natural things." The pilots looked at each other and shrugged. Hunter poured hot water into the carved bone mugs, then added ground mint leaves to them. "Let sit for few minutes. Taste better."

"How long have you stayed out here, Hunter?" Quatre asked, sipping at the minty water curiously. He hummed as it soothed his parched throat. Hunter stirred the stew thoughtfully, thinking to himself. When he answered, it was hesitant.

"It been long time, I know. I count seasons, not time like you know. For me, nine winters pass. I come in winter. This is tenth winter. I know sixteen winters go since I born." Hunter scooped a piece of carrot out of the stew and ate it. "I go get bowls. Stew is done." Wufei watched Hunter lever himself painfully to his feet.

"I can get them, Hunter. We can help you. Where are they?" Hunter shook his head.

"Guests not help me. You stay and relax. I get them. It my duty." As he moved away, Trowa whispered to Heero, "He's bled through his bandages already, Yuy. Did you _have_ to hit him in the knee? He's not going to let us do anything, which means his knee is going to heal slowly. That means he's that much closer to getting killed by something."

"I could have shot him in the chest, Barton. He could have choked to death on his own blood. Would that be any better?" Wufei, Duo, and Quatre pointedly ignored the bickering pair, talking amongst themselves.

"He's been living by himself for nine years. That would explain his…language difficulty." Quatre said delicately, gulping the tea.

"Wonder how he got out here…and why he won't let us help him." Duo mused.

"He has honour. He thinks guests should not do anything, even when the host is injured." Wufei murmured, draining his mug. Fresh mint was so much better than anything from a bag…

"How can he walk? One of my buddies got kneecapped, and he could barely put weight on it, let alone walk." Duo exclaimed, staring in Hunter's direction. Said invalid emerged a moment later, bearing several beautifully carved bleached bone bowls. When he got to Duo, his knee gave out. Hunter collapsed, swearing in a thick tone. The bowls were caught by Trowa and Duo.

"Sit, Hunter. No protesting." Quatre commanded the teen sternly. Hunter narrowed his eyes but did so. Duo portioned out the stew, pouring it carefully into each bowl. Heero stared at the food suspiciously. Hunter growled defensively before taking an obvious sip.

"Not poison. I eat from same pot." He turned to the rest of the crew. "I sorry if not like. I make different if not like. It take certain person to like some food." He paused, then retrieved a handful of rough spoons. "I make for when I have company. Many people get lost in woods. I help sometimes." The others shrugged, then dug into their own stew. When Hunter made to stand and clean out the bowls, a dark glare from both Trowa and Quatre kept him down.

"Just tell us what to do, Hunter."

"Reheat water from tea if done. Wait till water's hot, then put empty bowls and spoons in. Take pot off fire and wait until water's cold." Duo grinned at the reluctant teen.

"Was that so hard?"

"Yes." Even Heero chuckled at Hunter's playful scowl. Once the bowls were sterilized and put away, Duo asked, "What do you do between eating? It must be dull…"

"Explore. Stock food for winter. Chop wood. Play flute." Hunter started unwinding the crude bandaging from his knee, grimacing. The cloth had stuck to his wound. Hunter poured the cold water out into the trees, then attempted to lurch to his feet. Heero sighed, stole the bucket from Hunter, and strode off to the stream. He returned a minute later, full bucket in hand. Hunter rubbed at his eyes.

"You not let me do anything now…I not weak!" he turned to rouse the fire, and found it blazing. Trowa looked away innocently, discreetly scattering the tinder he had previously held. Hunter growled irritably and yanked at the bandaging, which separated painfully from his knee. Heero set the water over the fire while Duo, Quatre, and Wufei watched Hunter have a minor temper tantrum.

"We know you're not weak, Hunter. We just enjoy doing things to make others' lives easier. That includes helping you." Trowa pointed out reasonably. Hunter grunted and finished yanking the bloody bandages from his knee. It was swollen and red. When Trowa moved forward, Hunter retreated defensively, pulling his leg underneath him.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Hunter. I just want to make sure the bullet isn't still in wound. If it is, it won't heal." When Hunter extended his leg warily, Trowa nodded to Heero subtly. Heero and Wufei lunged forward, pinning Hunter to the ground. Quatre slid Hunter's head into his lap, running calming fingers through the tangled mess that was his hair. He ignored the oil and dirt matted in Hunter's hair, de-tangling it patiently.

Hunter whimpered piteously. Quatre hummed a tune under his breath, reminding himself that Hunter probably hadn't been touched, kindly or otherwise, in almost ten years. It seemed the others had remembered this as their grips became less restricting, more cautionary. Trowa extended a finger carefully into the bullet wound. Under them, the teen gasped and stiffened. Quatre moved his fingers in soft circles on Hunter's scalp, feeling the teen attempt to relax at the reassuring touch. Trowa suddenly moved his finger, causing Hunter to jerk and inhale. Duo, watching from the side-lines, could only feel helpless as Hunter squirmed.

"Duo. Do you still have a knife on hand?" he nodded warily. "Sterilize it for me, either over the fire or in the water. I can't get the bullet out with this small of a hole." Wufei smiled thinly as he saw Quatre attempting to relax their 'patient'.

"Hunter, have you ever swallowed a live fish?" Duo asked suddenly, grinning. Hunter, eyes half lidded, replied, "No. Nearly did, when I came here first. Didn't have fire, and was hungry. You ever eat raw snail?"

"Hm…nope. Hey Quat…ever danced around your house naked, just for the heck of it?" Quatre coughed.

"Can't say that I have…I don't suppose you have, Wufei?" Duo smiled from where he was heating his knife slowly. Have You Ever was a fun game to play, especially with the pilots. They knew each other well enough to ask the really embarrassing questions, but they knew when to back off a touchy subject.

"When I was two." Trowa snorted at Wufei's wry reply. "Trowa, have you ever purposely fallen off the high wire?" Duo slinked over to Trowa, giving him the blade. Quatre began massaging Hunter's temples in easy motions. Hunter yipped as Trowa extended the wound on either side, then slipped the point of the knife into his injury. The bullet popped out a moment later, followed by a gush of blood. Hunter thrashed wildly, fighting against Wufei and Heero. Quatre placed an arm around Hunter's throat, the teen stilling from instinct.

"Bullet's out. You okay, Hunter?"

"Hurt. Didn't like." Trowa pressed a rag to the wound, wrapping it tightly. When he was released, Hunter moved reluctantly from Quatre's soothing touch.

"Relax, kid." The green-eyed 'doctor' murmured, pressing him back down. Hunter blushed as Quatre resumed the massage, then relaxed. A low rumbling, rough and scratchy, radiated from Hunter's throat as he purred. Wufei quirked an eyebrow at Quatre who shrugged, smiling.

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Don't make HUnter mad! Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"_Relax, kid." The green-eyed 'doctor' murmured, pressing him back down. Hunter blushed as Quatre resumed the massage, then relaxed. A low rumbling, rough and scratchy, radiated from Hunter's throat as he purred. Wufei quirked an eyebrow at Quatre who shrugged, smiling._

"Part cougar, indeed." He whispered to himself. With Hunter finally still, the group could actually look at him. He was skinny and tall, most likely around 6 feet. His limbs were full of muscle, but not bulging muscles, more like a swimmer's or a dancer's. Thick black hair hung to his shoulder blades in tangled, greasy strands. Scars lined much of Hunter's skin, criss-crossing to form odd patterns.

In clothes, Hunter was lacking. He was dressed solely in a pair of tattered, faded green pants that came to his knees. They were surprisingly clean, and there were noticeable repairs made with a whitish thread. Wufei had the sneaking suspicion it was animal gut-string.

"You see something you like, dragon one?" Wufei twitched. Hunter had noticed him staring? He had thought Hunter was asleep…

"A dragon? Why am I a dragon?" Hunter grinned lazily.

"I see animals in eyes. You look like dragon. Full of knowledge. Fierce." Duo bounded over, eyes wide and sparkling.

"What am I?" Hunter smiled a little wider, chuckling slightly.

"You squirrel. Full energy. Defensive of 'tail'." He gestured to Duo's braid. "I sorry you not big animal, but you look like squirrel." Duo snorted.

"No worries, man. What's Q-ball? And Trowa?" he pointed the two out.

"Trowa is owl. Wise. Care for others. Other is…deer. Gentle. Never get angry. Innocent."

"And Heero?" Hunter growled.

"He wolf. Suspicious. Defensive. Vicious. Loyal to pack- family." Heero made a noise somewhere to the side. It sounded like a mix of a snort and a cough. Quatre broke the awkward silence that followed.

"Hunter, have you ever had a rub? Where someone presses your muscles to help them relax?" Hunter frowned.

"No. Sound nice. I not relax easy." Wufei knew this was his impromptu cue. This whole situation, he realized, sounded like a horribly cheesy scene from an overdone movie.

"I can help you, if you let me…" Hunter sighed, then nodded. He was getting a lot of contact lately…but it _did_ feel nice…"Flip over onto your stomach. I'm basically going to sit on you to get proper access."

"I get up if panic? Not used to touch…" Hunter blushed as he turned onto his stomach. Wufei nodded.

"If you do panic, you can get up." He straddled Hunter, setting warm hands on tense shoulders. "Relax as much as you can. It might hurt until the muscles loosen up." Fingers dug directly into a tight knot in Hunter's shoulder, making the teen twitch. In a way it did feel sort of nice, like trying to untangle a ball of string. After a few minutes, the digging motion became more of a gentle, kneading pressure. Above them, the rest of the group held a quiet conversation.

"How long do we plan to stay here?" Duo prodded Heero. Heero glared.

"I don't know, for the last time! We don't know how big the damn forest is!" Hunter opened one eye.

"I know way out…if you want." He slurred sleepily. "It take long time. Take six suns from here to road. I lead if you want out." Heero thought about it, looking at the group. They shrugged.

"When can you take us?"

"I take when ready. I ready to go. You want leave in morning?" Quatre yawned.

"I think we should stick around for a while before we move on…let your leg heal before we go on a trek." Hunter nodded his agreement, eyes sliding closed.

"I like idea." He muttered. "I take on journey once leg heal." Wufei kneaded at Hunter's shoulders and neck gently, gradually reducing the wild child to a pile of goo. The 'dragon' traded a small smile with Quatre as Hunter finally slipped into Morpheus's realm. Once they were sure Hunter was well and truly asleep, Trowa and Heero transferred the lanky teen to the crackly bed in the tree-house. He barely stirred, only curling into a ball when he hit the tanned hide.

The group followed Hunter's lead, covering the fire with dirt. Duo fastened the 'door' back up as they all leaned on one another for pillows. Everyone dozed off quickly.

Hunter roused slowly. His muscles felt loose and relaxed, an odd feeling. Then he remembered the massage Wufei had spent an hour and a half on last night. Hunter sighed and picked his way out of the tree after grabbing his flute, to where the sun was just starting to rise. The air was crisp, making goosebumps rise on his flesh. Rubbing his arms over his chest, Hunter restarted his fire, making his excruciating way down to the river. His knee was stiff and sent bolts of pain up and down his leg with each step.

He growled at the thin layer of ice on the slower parts of the river. The days were still warm, but during the night, it was below freezing. He broke the ice and scooped up a bucketful of clear, cold water. Hunter drank his fill before refilling the bucket and dumping it over himself. Inspiration struck, and Hunter got on his belly, dunked his head in the freezing stream, and attempted to clean his hair for the first time in several years. When he got up, Hunter was dripping wet but somewhat cleaner.

Staggering back to the fire, he dumped several larger branches down. They cracked and popped as they dried then caught the flame. Hunter shivered as a cool wind swept across his wet skin, raising goosebumps on his skin. He raised his flute to his lips, and blew gently. The note was hollow and low. Hunter began to play idly, a wandering tune that made him think of a pied piper. Sure enough, 'mice' began to 'dance' to his tune, emerging sleepily. Hunter grinned and continued to play as they drew closer. With a sharp flourish, he broke the tune. Heero was the first to realize something was wrong. His eyes narrowed.

"Did you just hypnotize us, Hunter?" the teen shrugged non-committedly. "I need to know, Hunter!" bright blue eyes sparked with fire.

"So you can shoot me if I am threat to you?" Hunter replied, leaning against a fallen log. "I not think so…"

"That was so cool! What else can you do?" Duo exclaimed, bouncing over to Hunter.

"I show you, if he promise not to shoot me." Duo looked pleadingly at Heero, who nodded grudgingly. Hunter grinned and raised his flute to his lips again. The next tune was a little more playful, reminding Duo of otters gambolling in rivers. Around them, the wind picked up, whirling in miniature cyclones around them. They picked at hair and clothes, before vanishing.

"Coincidence." Wufei quirked an eyebrow. Hunter smirked. He trilled three short, piercing notes that hung in the air. Heero's eyes glazed over. Hunter began to play a spine-chilling, rollicking tune that made the hairs on the backs of the pilots' necks stand up. Heero jerked, muscles moving without his consent.

"I control almost anything." Hunter pulled the flute from his mouth, grinning. "It take long time, but I learn how. There is different tune for each type control." Heero let out a snarl of rage and turned to leap on Hunter, but a quick trill had him frozen.

"You promised not shoot me. You break promise?" Hunter paused in his playing, then growled threateningly.

"No…" Heero forced out, eyes sparking with fire. Hunter stopped playing, but kept the flute close at hand. Quatre was the first to break the silence by exclaiming, "Hunter, are you wet? Aren't you freezing? You'll get sick!" the uncouth teen shook his head, adding more branches to the fire.

"I not get sick. Haven't in long time…" he trailed off, a cough tickling the back of his throat. He swallowed heavily, then heaved himself up off the ground. His knee screamed in protest. Hunter choked as pain ripped up and down his leg in white-hot bursts. He limped slowly over to his storage, pulling out the last of the fruit he had stocked up. He also pulled out a small package of his coveted stash: chocolate. He didn't have a lot, as he filched it from travellers as they slept, but it was enough.

To the fruit and chocolate, Hunter added a deerskin bag of dried mint, in case his guests wanted tea. He frowned. Feeding five other people really cut down on his stores…

"Do you need any help?" Trowa's voice startled Hunter. He jumped.

"No…I just thinking of what to eat." Hunter said absently, piling the supplies into a crude bag. The stack of bowls followed them. On a second thought, Hunter lifted a trapdoor, propped it open, and laid flat on his stomach. A small, deep pit emanated coldness- blocks of ice were stacked along the walls. Hunter lifted out a small wrapped package, set it in his bag, and closed the trapdoor. Before he could pick it up, Trowa had slung the bag carefully over his shoulder and was helping him to his feet.

"So what's for breakfast, then?" Duo chirped as the two sat down at the fire. It was blazing warmly, a good bed of coals glowing brightly.

"From what I saw, fruit, chocolate, and dry mint." Trowa smiled thinly. Hunter, preoccupied with arranging three round stones around the fire, did not answer, but set a thin, flat stone on top. Hunter then growled in annoyance, pulled the flat stone off the top, and grabbed for his bucket.

"I make tea or hot chocolate, fruit, and meat." Hunter explained, struggling to get to his feet. Quatre shot him an exasperated glare, grabbed the bucket from his hand, and strode off. The teen grumbled under his breath.

"Like we said earlier, Hunter. We're here to help." Wufei reminded Hunter. Quatre returned with the water, a scowl set firmly on his face.

"You want to tell me again you're not cold, Hunter? I had to break a layer of _ice_ to get to the water in the stream." A bitter wind brushed against all of them, and the fire flickered. Hunter shivered. Now that he had stopped moving, he _was_ a little chilly…but his pride would not let him admit it. Heero noted the goosebumps standing out on Hunter's skin.

"I fine. Put water over the fire, please." His English was slowly getting better. Quatre shook his head, but complied. Hunter opened his pack, pulled out the fruit, and tossed one to each pilot. Duo caught his and bit deep into the crunchy apple, humming appreciatively. Hunter pulled out the thick chunk of chocolate and started breaking it up into smaller pieces.

When the water boiled, Hunter let it roll for a few minutes, then divided it into the bowls. At the requests, Hunter dropped mint into three bowls, followed by the chocolate into the other three. He handed out the bowls, set his aside to melt, and removed the bucket carefully. He replaced the bucket with the flat stone and left it to heat.

"This is really good!" Duo exclaimed, emerging from his 'mug', a chocolate moustache in place. Hunter grinned, cradling his in his hands. When a warm hide dropped over his shoulders, Hunter looked back. Heero quirked an eyebrow and said, "Just admit it- you're cold."

"I stole chocolate from other travellers. They not need it." Hunter confessed to Duo, sipping his chocolate. "I save for long winters, when the mint go bad. It doesn't last for long time." Dipping his finger in the water, Hunter flicked a drop at the stone, which hissed quietly. The teen unwrapped his package, exposing several long pieces of lean red meat. He dropped them onto the stone. Five stomachs growled in hunger as the smell wafted around the group. Hunter grinned and gulped down his hot chocolate.

"You eat surprisingly well, for one who lives in the woods." Quatre said, setting his bowl on the ground. "Are your meals normally this…good?" Hunter coughed.

"I try to stay healthy. It hard during the winter, when supplies are almost all dry." He flipped the meat over, revealing a nice browned colour. Hunter easily sliced the meat into pieces, retrieving the bowls and giving an even amount to each of the first five. His own portion was considerably smaller. Wufei frowned and nudged Quatre to glance at Hunter's meal.

"What do you plan on doing today?" Duo said, drawing the cook's attention away from his bowl. Wufei, quick as lightning, dropped a bit of his meal into Hunter's dish.

"I need to hunt. We low on fresh meat, and if you plan to stay, I need more supplies. I not stocked for five others…" he coughed again. Trowa winced at the sound. It was a harsh noise.

"Is there anything we can do?" Hunter chewed on a hunk of meat, thinking.

"You can gather wood for the fire…and I know where orchard is. You can look for last of fresh fruit." He gulped down the rest of his meat, sucking the warm juices off his fingers. Hunter set the unused water back over the fire and set his bowl in it. He staggered to his feet and wrapped the hide around Quatre's shoulders before scaling a tree with difficulty.

"And you'll show us where the orchard is when?"

"When shadows touch the fire." Hunter informed them before vanishing. Quatre sighed, snuggling deeper into the blanket around his thin frame. Wufei stoked the fire, shivering slightly.

"That kid's gonna get pneumonia." Trowa groused, tugging at Quatre's blanket. "Quatre…" he moaned. "I'm cold!" Rolling his eyes, Quatre shared the blanket with Trowa, draping it over his lanky frame.

Three hours later, Hunter emerged, dragging the body of a deer behind him by the antlers. Two rabbits were slung over his shoulder, and he was limping badly. There was blood splashed on his face and down his chest. Heero moved forward to help him drag the deer but was warned away by a long, vicious snarl.

"Orchard is half-mile north. Follow stream downriver. Don't stray." Hunter growled. The five nodded and took off, no questions asked. Hunter had quite clearly reverted to a more primal state of mind. Hunter was quick to string the deer from a tree by its back hooves, then slice straight down its belly. The organs and blood poured out into a large bucket. He limped far from his tree, then dumped the waste under another tree, then limped back. Hunter began the laborious process of separating the hide from the flesh, slicing and pulling.

His guests returned a while later, apples gathered in the folds of their shirts. Hunter had just draped the severed hide over a branch, raw side up. Quatre looked in the opposite direction as Hunter started slicing large chunks of bloody flesh from the body.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_His guests returned a while later, apples gathered in the folds of their shirts. Hunter had just draped the severed hide over a branch, raw side up. Quatre looked in the opposite direction as Hunter started slicing large chunks of bloody flesh from the body._

"Put fruits in storage. There is bucket for them. You can wander- be back by sunset." Hunter said absently, separating flesh from fat. Bones were piled off to the side, still covered in sinew. To Quatre's and Wufei's disgust, the severed head was propped against a tree trunk, stripped of skin and muscle, leaving only the bloody bone. The tail, hooves, and hide were close by.

"Hunter, what in God's name are you doing?" Quatre exclaimed, backing away from the carnage. Hunter's head snapped up from where he was working on separating the muscle from a haunch.

"Getting meat. What wrong?" he asked, puzzled.

"This is disgusting!" Quatre said, clapping a hand over his mouth, turning, and bolting. Hunter closed his eyes briefly, then continued his work. He was pretty much covered in blood, but that didn't stop Duo and Heero from grabbing knives and moving to help him. Duo was used to this idea of work, after living on the streets for several years. Heero just wanted to keep his mind off the situation.

"This is living." Hunter growled to himself. He abruptly dropped his 'knife', gathered the bits at the base of the tree, and strode off. Duo noticed the flute sticking out of his pocket in confusion, before turning to Wufei and Trowa.

"We're pretty much eating him out of home, guys. What would last him most of the winter is gonna last all of us around a month. The least we can do is help." Wufei didn't say anything, but slowly grabbed his knife and joined the other two. Trowa pressed his lips together.

"Hunter knew we were going to come through here. It wouldn't have killed him to move it thirty feet that way." he turned and walked in the direction Quatre had gone in. The remaining three were quiet, then the heard the distant sound of chanting. It was accompanied by the thin rumbling of a drum being beat. Setting their bones aside, Duo and Wufei stood up, determined to find the source of the noise. Following the sound, they found Hunter pounding on a crude drum, chanting with a lilting melody to it. The deer skull was settled on what they assumed was the hide, with the tail and hooves on the sides. When Hunter finished, he turned to the pair, eyes solemn.

"I sorry to disturb. I sending deer to the Lights that Touch the Earth." At their confused looks, Hunter sighed. "Lights in sky turn other colours. They come in deep winter. They hold spirits." Wufei's eyes lit in understanding.

"The Northern Lights. You're sending its spirit to join the Lights?"

"Yes. The skull so deer can see and smell and hear and eat. Fur so it stays warm and protected. Tail to warn away flies. Hooves to run with herd." he smiled. "I send deer to run with brothers in woods. Maybe someone send me up there, when I die." he inhaled deeply, then blew a high, piercing note on his flute. The note seemed to writhe and shriek as it was played, like demons were grabbing at and twisting it. It rose, and the pieces of the deer began to shake and quiver.

The shrieking vanished. The high note resonated in Duo's and Wufei's ears. Suddenly, it was combated by a low rumbling as Hunter started the drum again, somehow managing to play a dark tune on the flute at the same time. The pieces of the deer shook more violently, then suddenly a white essence seeped from the skull, a reddish brown from the hide and tail, and black from the hooves. The mists rose, then seemed to trickle into the sky, vanishing a moment later. Hunter stopped playing, then rose and knelt next to the pieces.

The skull had transformed into another stylized bone bowl with the antlers beside it. The antlers were shaped into beautiful bone knives. The hide had been tanned into warm clothing like gloves and scarves. The tail was gone, and the hooves were hollowed into small cups. Hunter gathered the remains, then beckoned silently to the two and walked back to where he had left the deer's body.

"Holy...holy shit." Duo breathed. The blood, the fat, everything Hunter didn't need and a corpse could have needed in the Afterlife was gone. Select bones were set aside in a neat pile, while the rest had been taken by the spirit. The meat was sliced and settled into his storage. Hunter bowed again, murmuring soft words of thanks. Trowa stood against a tree, looking thoroughly spooked.

"Your...your meat was possessed. It sliced itself and vanished. The fat, everything else just...disappeared!" Hunter smiled sombrely.

"Spirit take what I not need. That way body not go to waste." he looked around. "Where Little Deer and Three Wolves?"

"Little Deer ran. He wasn't pleased with your...display. He thought it was disgusting." Trowa said, frowning. "The only reason I came back was because there were terrible noises. Shrieking and wailing. Three Wolves went to find Little Deer." Hunter's face twisted, and he clambered up an old oak, grasping one of the antler knives in his hand.

"Stay here. Not move. Can cook food if get hungry." he growled. Trowa nodded and pointed him in a direction.

"Start that way. They headed in that direction." Hunter thanked him and set the knife in his teeth, scrambling through the trees like a monkey. Duo sat down by the fire, and set the coals to blazing. Trowa and Wufei sat reluctantly, ears open for unnatural rustling or any noises of the sort. Without Hunter, the forest seemed more dangerous. Suddenly a cougar's scream echoed through the forest, and Wufei leapt to his feet.

"Don't go anywhere, Wuffers. Hunter can deal with it. He's lived here for ten years." Duo said carefully, then jumped as the cougar screamed again. "He told us to stay here." Two minutes later, Heero and Quatre stumbled out of the woods, looking thoroughly spooked. Hunter loomed behind them in the trees, eyes _gleaming_.

"See? No blood. I not harm them." Hunter purred. He leapt from the tree to land by Duo. Quatre practically shied away, like a skittish horse. Duo frowned, but left the matter alone. Hunter slinked over to his storage, and began pulling out materials for stew.

Two months later, winter had set in with a vengeance. There was three feet of snow outside, and the pilots didn't go outside unless it was absolutely necessary. They were perfectly willing, but Hunter flat out refused to let them go out. He himself cooked meals, chopped wood to keep a small fire going in the tree, and scouted for possible search parties. Quatre and Trowa could see his knee was not getting much better, but Hunter refused to stay still for any amount of time. The situation finally came to head when Hunter collapsed, face-down in the snow, his leg refusing any and all motion. As spring broke through winter, the sickness that had been threatening to overwhelm Hunter finally consumed him.

"Hunter, I'm not going to listen, so just save it." Duo sighed. Hunter was wrapped in a heavy hide, shivering violently, with Quatre at his side. Trowa was cooking a simple meal of meat and using the last of the dried mint for tea. Heero and Wufei dozed against the frame of the bed, leaning on one another for additional warmth. Quatre felt his own chest tighten in sympathy for Hunter's harsh, laboured breaths. Trowa passed a mug of tea to Hunter, scowling as the rough teen sipped it listlessly, eyes on the dark sky outside.

"You need to drink it, Hunter. You'll feel better if you do."

"I don't feel good now. Tea won't help. I get sick if I drink." Hunter said flatly, setting the tea on the floor and laying on his side. He curled into himself, tugging the blanket tighter around his thin frame. Suddenly Hunter sat up, growling low in his throat.

"Are people outside." He growled, avoiding the awake pilots nimbly. Unseen, Heero and Wufei latched onto Hunter's ankles, effectively stopping the teen from moving.

"Zero Four? Zero One? Can you hear us?" Quatre and Heero exchanged glances. "That's Une." Heero signed to the Arabian. Wufei gave up and promptly sat on Hunter to keep him from moving. Duo followed him and kept Hunter from even squirming. Heero drew the gun he had carefully preserved all these weeks, then pushed the hide away from the door. Commander Une stood there, a horribly familiar head of blond hair next to her.

"Heero! You're alive! Oh my God, I thought you were dead!" the blond female threw herself at Heero. He dodged.

"Relena." he greeted emotionlessly, listening to the tussle inside. Hunter was putting up quite the fight, it seemed. "You came on the minute chance I was out here?" the girl nodded emphatically.

"I was so worried!"

"Don't be. But don't get your hopes up. I'm not coming back." he heard all commotion from in the tree-house still. Apparently Une did as well, because she paused and quirked her head.

"I'm going to assume you have the rest of the pilots in there, along with whoever led you here. We won't shoot your friend." Une suddenly jerked as she heard a long-missed voice.

"Hunter, just relax!" Une picked Quatre's voice out. "Heero's fine."

"Not think so, Little Deer. Three Wolves went with gun. That not good!" the new voice was deep and raspy, with a strange growling quality to it. Heero's face tightened briefly.

"Hunter, come on." Heero sighed. "I'm fine. It's someone here to take me and my friends home." he could practically hear the growl in Hunter's voice.

"You not staying. You like all the others. Go, then. Leave me here by self. See if I care." Heero's lips twisted into an exasperated shape. He threw the hide serving as the door back, exposing everyone to everyone else.

"Stop being a child, Hunter. You were going to lead us out of the forest when your knee healed. That meant us leaving. It's not that big of a deal." There was a low rumbling coming from Hunter, like an angry canine. The teen was covered with a light sheen of sweat, and he was trembling. Une let out a low exhale of air.

The strange teen's eyes snapped to hers, and Une sucked in another breath, this one louder, sharper. Hunter's eyes were a shade she had only seen in cats, a gold shot through with green. "-mander. Commander!" Une jerked. Quatre had been calling her name in concern, after the two had stared at each other for an abnormally long time.

"Devlin." Une whispered. Her eyes filled with tears. "Devlin." Hunter twitched.

"I remember that name. From long time ago." he said slowly. "Aunt called me Devlin. You aunt?" Une nodded slowly. Everyone looked between the two in utter confusion. What in the world was going on?

"How did you get out here? Why didn't you go back?"

"You left. Momma died in...accident. Papa told me I was no good. Should not live with him. Should go live in woods, because I was animal. I killed Momma. I made her die." Hunter was oblivious to the tears sliding down his cheeks. Une was furious. "He made me blind with cloth. He drove for many hours and I howled. I not like not seeing, but told me to 'shut my worthless mouth'. He drop me in woods, and I was hit in head. I sleep, I think. When I wake up, Papa was gone. I searched for many days, for ways out. Then I give up."

Quatre latched onto Hunter, holding onto him as the pilot was swamped by the teen's emotions. Wufei and Trowa fixed their gazes on Une.

"We're not leaving him here, Commander."

"Good, because I'm not going to leave him behind."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Quatre latched onto Hunter, holding onto him as the pilot was swamped by the teen's emotions. Wufei and Trowa fixed their gazes on Une. "We're not leaving him here, Commander." Trowa inserted firmly. Une nodded. "Good, because I'm not going to leave him behind."_

A low growl broke the group from their dark thoughts. "What if Hunter not want to go? What if I want to stay here? You drag me by force?" Hunter growled dangerously, eyes bright with fever, sweat dripping down his forehead. Quatre was watching Hunter sadly, a torn expression on his face. "This only home I know! I happy here. You want take me away from my home?"

"No, Devlin, it's not like that..." Une soothed, but Hunter growled and broke from the group, stalking away. "Devlin...no, come back!" she practically begged as Hunter scrambled up a tree.

"You want to take me from only home I know. Why would I come back?" he sneered, then vanished into the trees. Une dropped her head into her hands in frustration, tugging lightly on the roots.

"He'll come back, Lady Une." Relena said firmly, oblivious to the glares from the pilots. "He wouldn't leave his 'home', as he calls it. I can't believe he would sacrifice the comforts of civilization for this...pit."

Quatre picked up the now cold mug of mint tea regretfully. He stepped outside and poured it in the snow, listening as a mournful howl rose in the woods around them. 'Hunter...' he cupped his hands around his mouth and howled back, startling the new group inside the tree. Duo and Trowa came to stand by his elbow, both smiling slightly as the 'wolf' responded once again. The three let cries loose from their lips, rising and falling at different intervals. Hunter joined in the chorus again, the song reaching an intensity that brought Relena and Une from the tree.

"What in the world is going on? Stop that noise, right now!" Relena barked. The normally adoring woman was angry. Heero and Wufei appeared at their sides. Their gazes were bitter.

"Shut up, you shameless woman." Wufei growled as the chorus continued around them. To Une's surprise, Heero tilted his head back and a howl of such pain and torment came from his mouth that a tear fell from her eye. Duo renewed his cry, and Une noticed there was an undercurrent of joy and laughter that seemed to comfort Heero. His howl became less painful and more mournful. Quatre's and Trowa's howls seemed to twine together until there was only one sound.

"We have changed since we came here." the soft voice startled Une. She jumped. Wufei stood there, quiet and stern. "We have learned patience and kindness. We have learned humility and emotion. Heero is open. Duo is calmer and thinks more. Quatre is more guarded. Trowa is kinder. I am willing to acknowledge that which is not just may often be the better way."

"Why do you make such savage noises?" Relena interrupted. "You'll attract everything within miles to come find us!" a cougar's scream silenced the chorus. There was a moment of horrified silence.

"They won't get close." Heero said coolly, listening to the scream fade away.

"Not when I am here." Hunter appeared on a branch high above them, a deep cut stretching down his jaw. Quatre loosed a surprisingly commanding noise that spoke without saying, 'Get down here, now.' Bright, catlike eyes met Quatre's, and Hunter leapt from branch to branch, coming to stand in front of Quatre. Trowa strode over to meet Hunter, tilting the teen's face to examine the cut, then stare deep into his eyes.

"I don't care what you say, Hunting Coyote." Trowa said calmly. Hunter blinked at the name. "You are going to sleep in your home. No," he cut off the protest. "We have enough blankets for the rest of us."

"You will leave while I sleep." Hunter said, almost eerily calm. But still he walked into the tree-house, climbed onto his bed, and wrapped himself in a blanket. He was asleep almost before the rest of the group entered. Quatre and Trowa, as was their habit, leaned against the bed frame. Heero and Duo reclined against the wall with a hide shared over their shoulders. Wufei relaxed next to the door. Une and Relena each found themselves with a hide-made-blanket around their shoulders. The fire crackled and popped in the silence.

"If he doesn't want to go willingly, do we force him?" Heero asked in the quiet.

"Don't force him." Quatre said quickly. "If you force him, he'll just run."

"Let's not worry about this now." Duo said softly, resting his head on Heero's shoulder. "We can worry about it later, when people are thinking clearly." The pilots shifted closer together, using their body heat to keep warm. Une watched as Trowa tossed a few more branches into the fire and drifted off to sleep.

"I would advise you to sleep, Commander. We don't follow a schedule here, and it might be the last time you get a good sleep for a while. We tend to get very…rowdy." Duo said slowly, eyes sliding shut.

When Hunter woke the next morning, he found himself on the floor, underneath a pile of people. He sighed, shifted slightly, and dropped off to sleep again. Unnoticed, Heero cracked an eye open, met with that of Wufei and Trowa, and nodded. They shared small grins, then looked where Duo and Quatre were leaning on Une and Relena. Both women had started shivering around midnight.

"Up." Hunter nudged Duo later. The feral teen had not been pleased to oversleep so late, but his sickness was fading fast. "Get up, Grey Squirrel. Three Wolves is making breakfast." Duo moaned and rolled over. "Grey Squirrel!" Hunter growled. "Get up. I will send Masked Dragon in if you do not." His English was crisp and Duo could tell he'd been practicing with Quatre while Duo slept.

Duo sat up slowly. He sighed playfully, then stood. He emerged to find Une flipping meat on Hunter's cooking stone with ease as Heero scowled behind her. Relena was seated on Hunter's favourite hide, a pure white deer skin. Duo sidled over to Quatre.

"Does Hunter know she's sitting on his prized skin?" he whispered. Quatre glanced at the girl and blanched.

"Get her off of it, right now. He wouldn't let you _touch_ it!" Quatre hissed. A dangerous hissing growl interrupted them, and the two turned to find Wufei with a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "Relena, please do us all a favour and get off the hide you're sitting on." Duo said carefully, avoiding Hunter's eyes and tilting his head to expose his neck. Relena pouted. Une watched as the pilots slowly assumed submissive stances. She followed suit.

"But…I'll get really wet and dirty if I do…" she said, eyeing the ground.

"If you continue to sit on it, Hunter will ensure you won't have to worry about it ever again." Duo explained quickly, and Relena got up quickly. Hunter grabbed the snowy leather from her, sneering.

"I will give you other seat." He said darkly. "You ask, next time. Yes? Otherwise I will not be happy." He looked at the wet patches, folding it carefully. Everyone relaxed slightly. "I am not very hungry, Red Shadows." Une looked up from where she was cutting the meat with a knife.

"You should still eat, Hunter." She said seriously, portioning the meat into the white bowls. She handed him his bowl, glowering as he chewed listlessly on a piece of the venison. Trowa watched him with narrowed eyes. He had been playing doctor for the past weeks as one after another, everyone either got sick or injured themselves.

"Come here, Coyote." He said quietly. Hunter came over and crouched at his side. "Honest answers, Hunter. Are you feeling ill?"

"Yes." Hunter said quietly, avoiding Trowa's eyes. "Not hungry, stomach hurts, chest hurts. I tired." Trowa gripped Hunter's chin, staring deep into his eyes. How had they missed it? Hunter was shaking slightly, a film of sweat on his forehead. "When they leave, Owls Watching? White Fox Growling make me nervous."

"I don't know, Hunter. How's your knee?" Hunter's forehead crinkled.

"It hurts."

"Can I see?" Trowa watched in surprise as Hunter sat carefully and extended his knee. The wound, even after so long, was puffy and red. Pus seeped sluggishly from the hole. "D-Duo." Trowa rasped. "Get a knife and sterilize it."

"What's wrong?" Quatre walked over, then hissed as he saw the infected wound. "Lovely. Heero, you're never allowed to shoot him again." Within a minute, the pilots had Hunter lying on the ground, his head in Quatre's lap. Heero and Wufei pinned him, while Duo handed Trowa a clean dagger.

"Breathe out, Coyote." Trowa murmured, then slit the puffy wound open. Hunter shrieked, twisting and fighting. "Hunter, stop!" Trowa snarled. "You're going to lose your leg if the infection stays!" Hunter calmed slowly, then yelped as Trowa pinched the cut. Greenish-white pus oozed out, and Trowa wiped it away. The green-eyed pilot repeated the process until only blood came from the cut. Hunter panted for breath as Trowa continued.

Quatre massaged slow, gentle circles on Hunter's temples, his heart aching as he listened to the boy whimper and keen through harsh breathing. He looked over at Relena and Une to find them watching the process curiously.

"This was pretty much how we met Hunter." Quatre said with a strange smile. It was so…empty. "Heero shot him, and we had to get the bullet out. We told him he could lead us out once his knee healed, but it's taking a long time."

"Are you going to leave him here?" Relena said, rather harshly. "We can get out without him. We don't need him!" Quatre's eyes narrowed, and his mouth thinned. When he spoke, it was distinctly cold.

"Perhaps you forget, Ms Peacecraft, that he _saved our lives_. That he took us in and fed us, when he could have ignored us, or even killed us? We will not abandon him, let alone leave him to _die_." The last word was a dangerous hiss. Duo looked up and frowned as he took in the expressions on Quatre's and Relena's faces. He put it all together instantly.

"We're not leaving him here, Ms Peacecraft." Duo said firmly. "_He_ will lead us out, to what I know will be a safe place. If you are so certain you do not need him, perhaps you can find your own way out." Relena stood.

"Fine! I will. I just need food and blankets." She entered the tree, and emerged with three of the nine hides wrapped around her shoulders. Hunter looked over, eyes hazy. He saw the girl standing with the hides on her shoulders and frowned absently.

"Those are mine." He said loosely. "You should not take them. We need them. Put them back." Quatre continued the soothing circles on his temple, easing Hunter into a sitting position to reach his shoulders. The thin teen slumped under the pilot's ministrations, a low purr rasping from his throat.

"Put two of the hides back, Peacecraft." Duo said firmly. "You get one hide and a little food. You will have to find your own food and shelter until you make it out. If you don't we'll come find you in three days." Her mouth dropped open before she could control it.

"W-what? Are you kidding me?"

"No." Quatre said quietly. "Put two of the hides back. You were so certain we could get out without him. That meant finding our own shelter, hunting and finding our own food. We weren't planning on taking supplies and leaving him to rebuild what we took." Hunter's purr changed to a low growl as the girl took off into the woods, the three hides still wrapped around her. Heero set a slim piece of polished wood in his lap.

"Bring her back, Coyote." He said quietly. The teen lifted the wood to his lips and blew the same three little trills that had controlled Heero. Relena froze, eyes darting around wildly. That rollicking tune danced and spun in the air, coercing her limbs to move. The girl took step after step back to the campsite, eyes rolling in panic like a frightened deer. The tune wove around and around her, plucking at her hair and making her muscles twitch. When the horrible song died, Relena showed no inclination to move.

"We leave tomorrow." Hunter said darkly, heaving himself to his feet.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"_We leave tomorrow." Hunter said darkly, heaving himself to his feet._

Heero and Wufei sat by the fire, both watching Relena critically. Their host returned a moment later, the dented pot in hand. His arms were full of wild vegetables and a large chunk of meat. Duo stole the pot to fill it up at the river, and Quatre grabbed a knife to chop the vegetables. Trowa fed the fire with a small handful of tinder.

"The stew takes long time to cook." Hunter explained to Une, who was watching with no small amount of confusion at the silent division of duties. "We start now, it be ready when sun starts to go down. For dinner." He looked at Duo, who was setting the water on a hook. "Where is your flute, Grey Squirrel? If you can play the wind, I will teach you to play the trees. They listen, but cannot move like wind can. Easier than earth and safer than fire." The braided teen scampered off, only to return with a carved flute. He sat down across from Hunter, who had pulled out his own considerably more decorated flute. Where Duo's only had a simple engraving, Hunter's was decorated with wooden beads, feathers, and many carvings.

Hunter looked at Duo. "Ask the wind to dance." The teen obediently raised the flute. The tune was the one Hunter had played for them in the beginning, like otters playing in the river. The wind picked up around them, whirling and twisting into small cyclones of dust. While the currents danced, Hunter started another tune that melded with the wind song. This one was slower and sounded like the trees themselves creaking. Duo finished his song and watched as the dust twisters seemed to nudge the trees, begging them to play.

And the trees did. Their limbs bent and twisted to the groaning, creaking song from Hunter's flute. They swiped at the cyclones, which jumped out of the way. The song slowly faded, and the teen looked at Duo. Both sets of eyes fell shut as the trees stilled and the cyclones faded.

"Song of the Wind is quick. It is like…like squirrels. It jumps and pauses, like squirrels looking for nuts and climbing trees. It is like birds, gliding and twirling." His voice was low, his words rhythmic and rocking. Une could only watch as Duo seemed to fall into a trance, struggling not to close her eyes and fall asleep. "Song of the Trees is like trees. It is slow and patient. It knows. Trees see and remember. Song is patient and calming. Listen to trees and ask them to dance." The braided teen picked up his flute, and the rest of the group paused to see if their companion could do it. Quatre and Trowa had control over the Song of Trees, and Heero and Wufei were nearing control of the Song of Water.

The song that trickled from Duo's flute was the groaning song, but something was wrong. Hunter smiled. "You are asking Hometree to dance, Grey Squirrel. Hometree is gone, cannot dance. Ask the tree next to you, Squirrel. Ask it to dance." Duo's eyelids fluttered. The song changed, and Hunter grinned. The trees above them swayed to the beat of the Tree Song. "Jerk the tune, Squirrel. Twist away like you twist the wind. The trees will not break, they will dance." Soon the branches above them were twitching as Duo struggled to ask the trees to do what he wanted them to. "Thank them, Grey Squirrel, and open your eyes."

Duo's violet eyes cracked open, and he let out a joyous laugh. "That was so cool! What's after the Song of Trees? When can I learn the Song of Fire?"

"Not for a long time." Hunter said sharply. Duo quieted. Une marvelled at the obedience of the usually hyper pilot. "Song of Fire is hard, dangerous. Song of Fire takes me years to play. Song of Wind comes easy. Song of Trees, little harder. Song of Water follows Trees, and Earth follows Water. When you play Song of Fire, I will teach you Song of Sky." Green-gold eyes caught and held Duo. "You learn Song of Sky, I give you my flute. When you have my flute, I teach you Song of Man, Song of Souls." The braided teen sat silently.

"Is there a Song of Lightning?" Hunter growled. The rest of the pilots sat stiffly, focused on their other tasks and pretending to ignore the rising wind.

"If I show you Song of Fire and Lightning, you stop asking. Yes?" Duo nodded. "Take the Pack into Hometree. Owls Watching and Red Shadows go in Hometree, too. Songs are dangerous. Stay in Hometree, be safe. I not let it hurt you." When everyone except Relena moved, Hunter growled again. The trilling song had Relena on her feet and marching into the Hometree. Duo played the Song of Man in his head over and over; the quick trills made the hair on the back of his neck tingled.

Hunter blew five high sharp notes. The fire in the pit flickered. He played them again, hanging onto the last note. The fire flickered, more strongly this time. As the high note hung in the air, Hunter pulled the flute from his lips and whistled. With his hands, he made an almost beckoning motion, and the fire followed, dripping in a line over the fallen pine needles to follow his fingers. Duo gaped, eyes lighting up in excitement. Shrill notes dropped from Hunter's lips to hang in the air. They resounded in the group's ears, bouncing off the trees and the earth in an eerie echoing sort of noise. The fire leaped into the air, and Relena screamed. The notes' hypnotic effect vanished. Hunter snarled as the fire whipped out of control.

Duo watched as his 'mentor' struggled to control the fire over Relena's shrieking. With the Song of Man trilling dangerously in his ears, the braided pilot played. Relena froze and did not move; her shrieking stopped. Duo continued the Song of Man until the fire was back in the pit and his mentor was stalking toward him angrily, knee forgotten. Trowa and Heero were quick to head the furious teen off until Duo could end the song without hurting Relena.

"I will drive White Fox Growling out." Hunter roared. His eyes flashed like the wild fire that had been threatening the camp a moment ago. "She tries to kill everyone! I will not have her in camp!" Duo let out a breath as he kissed his flute. Hunter wasn't coming to kill him…yet.

"She was scared, Hunting Coyote." Quatre said in weak defence, but Hunter ripped straight through that.

"She knows Song of Fire dangerous! I tell her, stay in Hometree, you be safe. Nothing I do hurt anyone. She move, I lose control and almost burn down Hometree. She not listen to anything I say!" in a fit of temper, he hurled his flute at Relena. Quatre caught the flying instrument and handed it to Une, who held it carefully. "And Grey Squirrel." Hunter's voice dropped to a low, menacing growl. "Song of Man is not joke. Give me flute. _Now_." Duo handed it over obediently, head bowed. "I tell you Song of Man dangerous, but you still play. I not care how dangerous fire is. I play for nine winters, and Song of Man still hard to play. You have flute when you prove to me you not play Songs for fun. Song of Wind, Trees, Earth? Fun. Song of Lightning, Fire, Sky, Man? Weapon. Kill people if play wrong. You want kill Fox? I give you knife. Three Wolves give you gun. Masked Dragon throw her in river. These songs for many bad people." He walked away. Shame, hot and consuming, licked at Duo.

"Is Relena okay? She hasn't said anything since you stopped playing." Une said casually, prodding the Peacecraft heiress. Relena squeaked and sat in a corner, shaking.

"I think having her brain messed with has scarred her." Heero said quietly, handing Duo his own flute. "Go ask the trees to dance." The ritual words fell from his lips easily. That was the first thing Hunter had taught them: that everything responded better when _asked_ to dance, instead of commanded. By commanding, the wind would not pick at clothes, it would knock you over. The trees would not poke you, they would give you a concussion.

Hunter had figured that out early on, after being shoved into the river by the wind, then dunked by a rather large wave at the tender age of eight. Duo sat in a tree, playing the creaking song slowly, almost sadly. The tree he was leaning against practically contorted, patting him on the head with a large branch. Younger trees leaned toward him, playing with his braid. Quatre picked up his own flute, then decided against it. No one wanted to piss Hunter off any more than he already was.

Hours later, Trowa stirred the stew idly. Duo had dozed off against the tree, tired from playing for so long. Hunter reappeared, looking defeated. Wufei and Quatre eyed him in surprise, before catching him as his injured knee gave out.

"I try to find Song of Healing." He whispered as the two carried him over to the fire. "It hard to do…can't find way to ask body to listen." The group was silent that night as food was dished out and consumed. The pilots packed all their gear in the drawstring bags Hunter had made them. Then, as the firelight flickered, Hunter played Song of the Sky for them all. The stars themselves seemed to dance to the unearthly, ethereal music floating from the decorated instrument. Hunter played even as the group fell asleep in the Hometree. When the sun began to rise, the teen slipped into a trance, piping a melody no one had heard before.

The Song of Healing trickled from the flute, convincing his body to heal the bullet wound, to heal Quatre's burn, Trowa's bruises. When the group left soon after the sun had risen, no one noticed the wind whisper sadly through the camp, nor Hometree bend in the wind with a mournful creak. Her son would be back…she hoped.

Three days into the journey, Heero was ready to shoot Relena. She whined every step of the way, about how she was hungry, tired, or thirsty. Hunter, it seemed, was of similar mind. Heero caught the teen fingering his bone knife when Relena complained. They stopped frequently to allow Relena to rest, but finally Hunter grew tired of it.

"We should be farther." He growled the next morning. "This take more than six suns. Crying Fox slows us down." Une said nothing in Relena's defence; she bit deep into a slice of dried apple. Relena, who was sitting on one of the only hides they had brought, glared at Hunter.

"Not all of us walk as fast as you do!" she said angrily. "If I can't walk as fast as you, you're just going to have to be patient. We'll get there! We have enough food."

"If you haven't noticed, Peacecraft," Heero started icily, "we have enough food because some of us haven't been eating enough." Hunter didn't look at anyone as his stomach growled softly. Eyes flicked in his direction, then away to focus on the argument at hand. No one wanted to take the time to hunt down and process a lot of fresh meat when they way out was so close…Relena didn't seem to realize they had a finite amount of food. They had taken almost everything left in Hunter's stores, and at the rate they were eating, they would be out of food in the next two days.

"So why didn't we bring more?" Relena asked. Hunter scaled a tree, telling the feral voice in his head _not_ to kill the stupid she-fox. His fingers twitched toward his knife.

"Because then we would have to carry it. Food is rather heavy, you see." Quatre said, as if he was talking to a small, mentally challenged child. "We eat a lot, as there _are_ eight of us." The pilots had realized how hard Hunter had to work over the past months to keep them all fed. Almost every day, Hunter would go out with his knives, injured knee and all, and hunt what he could. During the deep winter, that meant the pilots would be eating thin stew with dried vegetables while Hunter pretended to eat. Duo and Trowa had noticed their host's reluctance, and had taken to pretending they were full with food left, just to watch Hunter eat the leftovers hungrily. Wufei and Heero would often attempt to distract the teen to slip food into his bowl. Hunter would realize what they were doing more often than not and scold them, informing them that they needed the food more than he did. Quatre nearly lost his temper one day, threatening to sit on the teen and force feed him. The portions were more equal after that. However, it didn't last long.

The Gundam pilots could only watch as Hunter grew thinner and gaunter, refusing extra food unless they claimed they were going to burst. Only then would Hunter eat what was left, watching them suspiciously. Duo snapped out of his musings. Hunter was resting in a tree while Relena waited impatiently on the 'path'.

"What are you waiting for, you savage excuse of a human? If you're so hungry, go hunt down a squirrel or something!" she gulped as Hunter fixed glowing eyes on her.

"You are the one who wanted to leave without guide." Hunter said softly, almost dangerously. "You are willing to steal food for six sun journey. Now you want me to hunt to feed myself. Next, you tell me to carry you so you go home sooner. Not everything always go your way, Whimpering Fox." Wufei noted the name changes in Relena as the days wore on. White Fox Growling to Crying Fox, then to Whimpering Fox? She was losing respect in Hunter's eyes, fast. Hunter sighed to himself, then climbed down the tree. "We go. Follow path. I find food for Whimpering Fox." Duo and Quatre grabbed Relena and took off at a good clip, determined not to let Hunter down so close to the end of the journey. Une followed, the last of the dried apples sitting heavily in her stomach, the taste in her mouth bitter with guilt.

When Hunter reappeared, he clutched a single, skinny rabbit in one hand. His eyes were dim and disappointed. What good was he if he couldn't find enough food for his pack? Duo took the rabbit and smiled at him. "Thank you Hunter. It's something, at least. It'll get us through tomorrow." From the corner of his eye, Duo saw the rest of the pilots and Une mentally tighten their belts. Hunter deserved most of this rabbit, and the only way to do that was for them to tell him they weren't hungry.

That night, Hunter refused the extra portions. "You are hungry." He said flatly. "You do this so I will eat more than you. You will eat what given." He didn't look up from licking his bowl delicately. Relena made a face, sipping her stew almost reluctantly. It was bland, flavoured with what vegetables they could scrounge and the rabbit.

"I'm seriously not hungry, Hunter!" Duo said in exasperation. And in truth, he wasn't. His stomach was still twisting painfully with the thought that he had betrayed Hunter's respect by playing the Song of Man before they had left camp. Hunter growled.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"_I'm seriously not hungry, Hunter!" Duo said in exasperation. And in truth, he wasn't. His stomach was still twisting painfully with the thought that he had betrayed Hunter's respect by playing the Song of Man before they had left camp. Hunter growled._

"Eat it." He said dangerously. Duo's face flushed. "I find food later, food you not want eat. You need this food. Eat it, Grey Squirrel." Duo reluctantly sipped at his broth, choking down the meat and vegetables. That night, as Hunter slept in a tree above them, Duo caught Trowa's bright green eye.

"We can't let him do this." Duo whispered fiercely. "It's our fault he doesn't have enough food, that he's going on this stupid journey, that he's been hurt at all!" Trowa said nothing, only nodded. Duo lay back and let his mind whirl with theories until the sun rose. When Duo awoke the next morning, it was to the most sombre, desperate tune he had ever heard. He rose to find the source of the noise.

Hunter was sitting cross-legged in a small clearing three hundred feet from where they were sleeping. His gorgeous flute was at his lips, and animals were gathering around him. He watched as a buck missing an antler settled itself on his right side, copied by a coughing doe on his left. Three rabbits stood up in front of him, ears perked and attentive. The rest of the animals that had gathered bowed their heads and scampered away.

Duo watched as the rabbits laid down in Hunter's lap peacefully, then closed their eyes and seemingly dropped to sleep. Tears dripped from Hunter's eyes to land on the still rabbits. The deer he petted gently. The tune changed, and soon the Song of Healing was pouring from his flute. The doe's breathing eased and calmed. The buck shook its head in amazement as an antler began to regrow itself. The two looked at each other, then got up and bounded away. Hunter took the flute from his lips and looked Duo straight in the eye. He was still crying.

"I ask them to help me, Grey Squirrel." He said brokenly. "I ask if they willing to sleep forever. They say yes, if there no pain. They say they know I important. They willing to sleep forever, if I send them to Lights. I not have time to send them, Grey Squirrel."

"You have all the time you need, Hunting Coyote." Duo said, looking away. "Will you play for them?" Hunter choked, and brought his flute to his lips. The tune had a different, wild rhythm to it, that made Duo want to dance and do crazy things until he collapsed. The rabbits in Hunter's lap rose into the air, and then dropped. The hides were tanned in the shapes of palms and feet, the bones became small bowls, thin knives, and needles. A small coil of white thread was wound around another small bone. The meat was wrapped in large leaves, and Duo watched as two rabbit-shaped patches of mist bounded around Hunter, then climbed higher and higher into the sky. Duo stooped and picked up the supplies, putting a comforting hand on Hunter's shoulder as he rose.

"Thank you, Hunting Coyote." He strode back to the campsite and blinked- a fire had been started and a large pile of firewood gathered. The sound had jerked the pilots out of their sleep and now they sat around the crackling flames silently. "Relena is not to say anything about this." Heero said quietly, taking the meat from Duo.

"Hunter asked them." Duo said rather blankly. "He asked them if they would want to sleep forever if it meant helping him." Quatre pulled the braided teen into a loose hug. "Three rabbits said yes…they just crawled into his lap and fell asleep!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up. 'You should have seen Hunter's face…"

"I imagine it was something like the one on yours, Maxwell." Trowa said gently, smiling faintly. He sobered quickly. "Let's start making breakfast. Duo, can you start repairs on the blankets and moccasins? We need new soles for the moccasins, and Hunter's gloves are almost gone. Wufei, will you inventory what we have left? Quatre, go see if you can't convince Hunter to come back, and Heero…check everyone's knives? Now that we have the extra ones, maybe we can leave some of the bigger ones behind, if they're cracked or dull." They all split up to start on their individual tasks. Duo snagged the two pairs of moccasins sitting by Relena and Une, scoffing at Relena's clean soles.

"You'd think she doesn't walk anywhere! She doesn't need new soles."

"She also doesn't make a point of trying to learn how to climb trees like Hunter. We do." Heero said dryly. "Chang, your big knife is cracked. You can try and trade someone, or you get two little knives for a big one. Your little knife is fine. Maxwell, you're…set. Barton, I'm giving you another small one, and Hunter gets the extra two. Winner doesn't need new ones and I only need two." He started sewing new palms onto Hunter's gloves. The rest of the pilots had been baffled at the skill Heero showed with a needle and thread. Given enough time and quiet, Heero had produced the best stitching they had ever seen. And Quatre had seen a lot.

"Hunter's the only reason we have food right now." Trowa said flatly, dropping a sliver of fat onto the stone for greasing. "He's the one who finds food while he moves for us. I don't understand him sometimes. Why go to this much trouble for us? Why not ditch us and go back to his life?"

"That's not how he thinks." Wufei said, dropping gracefully next to Trowa. "He thinks he's responsible for us now."

"Which is utterly ridiculous." Duo interjected, setting Une's moccasins where he had found them. The two women never stirred, exhausted by the long days of walking over treacherous terrain. Trowa carefully placed several chunks of meat on the stone. They hissed and sizzled, little drips of fat making the fire flare and spit. The pilots sat around the fire silently after that, each lost in their own thoughts.

"I wonder how much longer we'll be going…" Duo spoke up quietly.

"We've been going for three. Hunter said it took him six, and we're moving considerably slower than he did. If we're lucky, I'll expect nine days total." Trowa replied. The others nodded. Duo frowned. "Do we have enough food for another six days? The rabbits will provide for another day. What are we doing after that?" no one spoke.

"You keep walking, I hunt." Hunter sighed from a high branch. He was lounging like a cat, with one arm hanging down. His head rested on his other arm. Quatre plopped down next to Heero rather un-gracefully. "I will bring you food each night for morning and afternoon. You might not have lots of food." The group thanked him quietly.

"It doesn't matter how much we have, we'll make it work." Hunter nodded, then got up and slipped away. The pilots packed up everything they could, then woke the two women. When they built camp that evening, Hunter had been there, leaving a small basket of roots, nuts, and a meagre chunk of pilfered chocolate behind. Trowa carefully split the chocolate into eight pieces, then started the fire.

"Where's Hunter?" Une asked curiously, cracking a handful of the nuts open.

"Probably scratching his fleas and howling at the moon." Relena said viciously. Une caught the tensing of the pilots' muscles, and everything clicked. She said nothing, but continued to shell the nuts into a small bowl. Suddenly a coyote appeared from within the forest, dropping two rabbits at Trowa's feet. Before any of them could do anything, it took the chocolate, grinned and vanished into the trees.

It was five days later that the pilots figured out how Hunter gathering food with enough time left to feed himself. Duo was at a stream filling their water-skins when he saw the same coyote that had given them food. It was gnawing at a rotten deer corpse that made Duo gag slightly to smell it. The coyote was ripping off chunks of rancid meat and swallowing them hurriedly. Even as the braided pilot watched, the coyote shook itself then turned into Hunter, who heaved once then forced his stomach to calm. The teen launched himself into a nearby tree, slinging the straps of a half-full, very familiar woven basket over his shoulders.

When Hunter dropped into camp that night, Duo stared him straight in the eye. "Hunting Coyote, what do you eat when you gather food for us?"

"I find things here and there." Hunter said evasively. He dropped the basket and turned to go, but Trowa grabbed him by the wrist. "Please let me go, Owls Watching. You need to eat and sleep. Tomorrow is hardest day. You all tired, and there many obstacles. I not come for last leg. Is on road." When Trowa did not let go, Hunter gave in. "I eat dead meat, Grey Squirrel. I eat meat that you not touch. Coyote stomach can handle it."

"Your stomach can't handle that…stuff, Coyote!" Duo cried. Why didn't Hunter understand this? "If the only thing you can find is meat so bad you nearly puke after you eat it, then we will share with you. When I agreed to the thought of you gathering food while we walked, I thought you would be eating with us when we settled down for the night." Heero, to Duo's surprise, backed him up.

"You're eating with us tonight, Hunter. You'll be sick from the meat." He was right. As Une was portioning the stewed rabbit, Hunter abruptly became very pale. He transformed and bolted into the trees. He was back several minutes later, looking ill and tired. Trowa practically force-fed him dinner that night, and for the first time since they had left Hometree, Hunter slept on the ground with them, curled tightly between Trowa and Heero. The next morning, Hunter was in no state to travel. The meat he had thrown up was making him sick. The only thing Hunter was able to keep down for any amount of time was water. When night fell again, the teen was keeping down light broth.

The group could only watch helplessly as the rotten meat tortured Hunter. When his stomach began cramping, the teen doubled over and let out pained whimpers. Une was the one who held Hunter, crossing his arms over his chest and pinning them to keep him from struggling when Trowa and Duo forced him to vomit over and over again. When the sun rose the next day, Hunter was finally sleeping comfortably between Une and Quatre, his head in Une's lap and Quatre using him as a pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_When the sun rose the next day, Hunter was finally sleeping comfortably between Une and Quatre, his head in Une's lap and Quatre using him as a pillow._

"Get up." Relena hissed, nudging Hunter with her foot. He didn't wake. "Get up, you mongrel." She snarled, kicking him. Hunter let out a growl and eyed her. "I'm hungry." She informed him. He closed his eyes.

"I do not care." He growled lowly. "You can wait until we get up. You eat all the time." When Relena went to kick him again, Hunter grabbed her foot and didn't let go. She staggered. "Stop being greedy. Wait when we get up." Quatre jerked awake as Relena tugged on Hunter.

"Make him let go." She demanded crossly, tugging again. "He won't get up and make food."

"That's because we have very little." Quatre informed her. "We need to divide it evenly, so no one person gets more than the other."

"But he said something about a road, yesterday. That means we're near civilization!" Hunter still refused to let go.

"You still have until shadows lengthen until you get to road." Hunter informed her. Five hours later, Relena dropped to her knees on the worn, pockmarked road. Hunter watched from a tree with the pilots around the base of the trunk.

"You go with her, no?" Hunter inquired, staring down at them. Une strode over, eyes soft.

"They will be gone for a week, maximum." She informed him, a smile touching the corner of her mouth. "If they want to, that is." Wufei looked at Hunter.

"We will be back in five days." He promised. "We'll make up what we took from you." Hunter nodded, then paused and pulled several somethings from his pocket. Each pilot was given a small teardrop of bone tied to a piece of white thread. Une was given a rawhide necklace with a larger teardrop of bone with a pattern carefully cut from the centre.

"I know Masked Dragon has little hole in ear. I not know if others have hole, so I make them just in case. Can be put on something else if not like…" Hunter said, blushing slightly. Une and the other pilots turned to Wufei in confusion.

"It was a family tradition to pierce the ears of their children when they were eighteen months old. I refused to wear earrings during the war for security reasons." Wufei explained grudgingly. "Hunter caught me keeping the holes open with one of the bone needles." Hunter shuddered at the memory. Wufei's piercings had almost closed, so he had re-pierced them with only a needle.

"Go." Hunter suddenly said sharply. "There are people coming." He shifted restlessly. It was true. A large SUV was rumbling slowly over the pitted road, followed by a pink limousine. Quatre stared.

"That's Rashid!" he blurted. Heero glanced at his phone, which he had turned on as soon as they had gotten close to the road.

"There's enough signal here for them to have tracked us out." He muttered. Relena let out a squeal of excitement as the limousine pulled over, and Lucrezia Noin got out. The woman was quick to gather Relena in a hug then hand her a clean outfit to change into. Zechs Merquise shocked the Gundam pilots into silence when he emerged from the SUV, dropping five rucksacks by the back wheel.

"Do hurry up." He smirked at their bafflement. "I'd like to get back to HQ sometime in the next decade." Duo scrambled for his duffel, practically trampling Quatre in the process. What could have been an orderly movement turned into a dog-pile as Trowa was caught around the ankle and dragged to the ground by Quatre. Trowa in turn snagged Duo, who tackled the remaining two. The pilots heard a muffled snort from somewhere in the trees. Zech's head snapped toward the sound.

"The trees have a mind of their own." Duo said brightly, emerging from the pile. Zechs frowned, moving toward the treeline. Hunter let out a low hiss as Zechs got closer and closer, then finally leapt on the man with a wildcat's scream. The blonde froze as two bone knives kissed his throat. Hunter growled lowly.

"Hunter! Hunting Coyote!" Quatre yelled. "Coyote, let him up!" Hunter fixed Quatre with a stare. Quatre glared. Slowly Hunter got off of Zechs, scrambling back up his tree as the man got to his feet.

"Cougar." Zechs muttered, rubbing his throat ruefully. The teen flashed him a coyote's smile as he lurked in the branches. Zechs shuddered slightly, the dangerous grin sticking in his mind. Somehow, this was scarier than anything in the war had been…

"Come on, Zechsy-poo." Duo grinned. "Leave the kitty alone." Hunter growled. When Zechs looked back, he was surprised to see the five pilots already changed, with Duo lazily re-braiding his hair. The bone teardrop was nestled against the nape of his neck, tied into his hair. Hunter tossed something to Duo, who caught it. He looked at his flute in confusion. There was a single feather dangling from the mouthpiece, the rawhide dyed a dull grey.

"You play songs, okay? Make trees, wind, dance." Duo could have kissed Hunter. The other pilots pulled out their flutes, and realized Hunter had added a feather to each of theirs. "Do not forget how." Hunter reminded the others sternly. "I not want to reteach in five sunrises." The pilots scrambled into the SUV, Zechs climbing into the front seat gracefully. Hunter watched mournfully as the cars drove out of sight. "Please come back." He whispered, a lone tear trickling down his cheek.

Duo took a deep breath, clenching his eyes shut. "How much longer?" he moaned to Quatre, who was in a similar position. He was nauseous, and had no idea why. Wufei, Trowa, and Heero were holding their heads in their hands, struggling not to be sick.

"Several hours, Master Duo." Rashid said handing Trowa a bottle of motion-sickness pills. "You are no doubt nauseous from the speed. It has been how long, three months, since you travelled faster than walking?" five affirmative groans were his answer. When they arrived at the Preventer Headquarters four hours later, Duo dropped to his knees and hugged the nearest tree. Une cleared her throat, causing Duo to cast her a mocking glare.

"Leave me and my tree in peace!" he whined. "Cars are horrible, horrible things!" Heero sighed.

"Grey Squirrel," the name slid from his lips without a thought, "the sooner we finish what Une wants, the sooner we can go back." Une rolled her eyes, striding inside the building confidently. The pilots followed her semi-reluctantly.

"Heero's correct." She called over her shoulder. "These are your orders for the next two days. I want your offices cleaned up, as if you were going on a vacation. They are to be closed and locked by nine o'clock tomorrow morning, the key cards in my hand. You are to be out of this building by ten o'clock tomorrow morning, and I do not want to see you for at least three months. Spend however much time you would like with Hunting Coyote, just make sure you have a ride to and from. Do not forget to bring Hunter things he may need. Ready, go." She waved a hand carelessly. The pilots shared looks and scattered.

At nine o' clock the next morning, five key cards were dropped into Une's waiting hand. Duo slung his arms around Wufei's and Heero's shoulders, his flute dangling from relaxed fingers. "Come on, Three Wolves, Masked Dragon!" he cheered. "Let's go find Hunting Coyote!"


End file.
